A review of the literature on social and emotional learning for students ages 3-8: Outcomes for different student populations and settings (part 4 of 4)
This is the fourth in a series of four related reports about what's known about social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for children ages 3-8. The purpose of the report series is to summarize the benefits of SEL in early childhood, and identify the characteristics of SEL interventions that are effective in school contexts. Responding to a need expressed by the Early Childhood Education Research Alliance, the research team conducted a systematic review and synthesis of recent research reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of SEL. This report presents outcomes for the general student population and student subgroups, including students from low-income families, racial/ethnic minority students, male and female students, English learner students, and students from urban and rural locales. Results suggest that SEL programs positively affect social and academic outcomes for the general student population, such as increased academic motivation, self-efficacy, conflict resolution skills, emotion recognition, empathy, and bonding to school; reduced antisocial behaviors and behavior problems; and higher grades and test scores. The outcomes of SEL for student subgroups are mixed. While some successful strategies for implementing SEL with diverse populations have been identified, more research is needed.

2/23/2017

REL 2017247

A review of the literature on social and emotional learning for students ages 3-8: Teacher and classroom strategies that contribute to social and emotional learning (part 3 of 4)
This is the third in a series of four related reports about what's known about social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for children ages 3-8. The purpose of the report series is to summarize the benefits of SEL in early childhood, and identify the characteristics of SEL interventions that are effective in school contexts. Responding to a need expressed by the Early Childhood Education Research Alliance, the research team conducted a systematic review and synthesis of recent research reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of SEL. The sources reviewed for this report included a large body of evidence regarding individual teacher and classroom practices that promote SEL. This report identifies three classroom factors (other than using SEL curriculum) that impact social and emotional learning: classroom climate (physical space and materials, classroom management, emotional climate), instructional strategies (modeling, reacting, teaching), and teacher social and emotional competence. Teachers and administrators can use the strategies presented in this report either alongside, or in the absence of, a formal SEL program.

2/23/2017

REL 2017246

A review of the literature on social and emotional learning for students ages 3-8: Implementation strategies and state and district support policies (part 2 of 4)
This is the second in a series of four related reports about what's known about social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for children ages 3-8. The purpose of the report series is to summarize the benefits of SEL in early childhood, and identify the characteristics of SEL interventions that are effective in school contexts. Responding to a need expressed by the Early Childhood Education Research Alliance, the research team conducted a systematic review and synthesis of recent research reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of SEL. This report is a review of the literature on the implementation strategies that support SEL programming, including a cycle of continuous improvement. It also presents state and district policy supports for SEL programming, such as engaging stakeholders, assessing resources and needs, adopting evidence-based SEL programs, integrating SEL into teacher and administrator evaluation systems, and developing comprehensive, freestanding SEL learning standards.

2/23/2017

REL 2017245

A review of the literature on social and emotional learning for students ages 3-8: Characteristics of effective social and emotional learning programs (part 1 of 4)
This is the first in a series of four related reports about what's known about social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for children ages 3-8. The purpose of the report series is to summarize the benefits of SEL in early childhood, and identify the characteristics of SEL interventions that are effective in school contexts. Responding to a need expressed by the Early Childhood Education Research Alliance, the research team conducted a systematic review and synthesis of recent research reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of SEL. This report is a review of the literature on stand-alone, evidence-based SEL programs that are associated with positive student behaviors and/or academic performance. The literature reviewed for this report also includes programs that target executive functioning, with an understanding that many SEL approaches represent a hybrid of the two. To assist educators and policymakers, this report presents information on selecting an evidenced-based SEL program and provides recommendations from experts.

2/23/2017

WWC SSR81036

WWC Review of "A randomized control trial of a statewide voluntary prekindergarten program on children’s skills and behaviors through third grade (Research report)."
For the 2015 study, "A Randomized Control Trial of a Statewide Voluntary Prekindergarten Program on Children's Skills and Behaviors Through Third Grade," researchers used a quasi-experimental design to compare outcomes for children based on whether they had attended at least 20 days of the Tennessee Voluntary Prekindergarten program, a public full-day program for 4-year-old children operated by participating school districts. They found positive impacts for participating students by the start of kindergarten, including higher test scores on outcomes related to cognition, mathematics, alphabetics, and comprehension and better work-related skills and social behavior. However, they found negative impacts on some math outcomes (quantitative concepts and applied problems) at the end of second and third grade. The researchers demonstrated baseline equivalence of the intervention and comparison groups in these analyses, and therefore, the study meets WWC group design standards with reservations.

9/27/2016

WWC IRECE381

Intervention Report: Pre-K Mathematics
An updated WWC report on Pre-K Mathematics with DLM Early Childhood Express Math looks at how these programs impact early learning. Pre-K Mathematics is a supplemental curriculum that utilizes teacher-guided, small-group activities with concrete manipulatives and take-home activities. The DLM Early Childhood Express Math software includes corresponding math-based activities to reinforce math concepts taught in the classroom. This updated WWC report includes reviews of six studies that have been released since 2007 and evaluates three additional outcomes: oral language, print knowledge, and phonological processing. The WWC found that Pre-K Mathematics with DLM Early Childhood Express Math has positive effects on math for preschool children, but no discernible effects on their oral language, print knowledge, and phonological processing skills.

The 2012 study, The Impact of Dual Enrollment on College Degree Attainment: Do Low-SES Students Benefit?, used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS:88) to examine the effects of dual enrollment programs for high school students on college degree attainment. Researchers found that dual enrollment programs significantly increased the likelihood of attaining a college degree. There were no significant differences in college attainment between first generation college students and students whose parents had attended at least some college. A supplemental analysis revealed that students earning more dual enrollment credits were significantly more likely to attain any college degree or a bachelor’s degree than comparison students. This research meets WWC evidence with reservations due to potential differences between the participating students that were unobserved in the study data.

12/18/2013

REL 2012021

Prekindergarten Participation Rates in West Virginia
This report compares the shares of preK seats provided by public school systems and collaborative partners—federal or private—and analyzes participation based on socioeconomic and racial/ethnic subgroups and district characteristics. This report updates through 2010/11 a previous report that covered school years 2002/03–2006/07.

The study found that the statewide participation rate in preK more than doubled between 2002/03 and 2010/11, from 26 percent to 63 percent of eligible students.

4/26/2012

NCES 2010009

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) Preschool--Kindergarten 2007
Psychometric Report
This methodology report documents the design, development, and psychometric characteristics of the assessment instruments used in the preschool and kindergarten waves of the ECLS-B. The assessment instruments measure children's cognitive development in early reading and mathematics, socioemotional functioning, fine and gross motor skills, and physical development (height, weight, middle upper arm circumference, and head circumference). The report also includes information about indirect assessments of the children through questions asked of parents, early care and education providers, and teachers.